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REPLY OF COLONEL JENNISON 



TO 



G. O. BIN^GHi^lVi:. 



G-. C. Bingham, of Jefferson City, Missouri, has published a letter, 
(which has been printed in pamphlet form and distributed among 
the members of both Houses of Congress,) assaulting me, with vindic- 
dictive bitterness of feeling. 

It would be unnecessary, either in Kansas or Missouri, or wherever 
I am known, to refute his falsehoods or meet his malice ; but here, 
where I am, comparatively, a stranger, my friends think it necessary, 
that I should do both. 

I shall say but little in regard to Mr. Bingham. 

It is well known that he was opposed to a coercive policy in Mis- 
souri. He was a neutral, and for neutrality, all through. He con- 
sented to serve in the Home Guards, provided they should not be sent 
out of the State, and for this end raised a company. 

Col. Mulligan was at t^at time in command at Lexington, Missouri. 
He ordered Captain Bingham, with his company, to that city. The 
men obeyed, but he refused to go, and left the service. 

For this conduct I reported him to Maj. Gen. Hunter and pressed 
his immediate arrest, upon the charge of cowardice, and hence the vi- 
olence and vindictiveness of Mr. Bingham against me. 

The first charge which Mr. Bingham makes against me reads as fol- 
lows : 

"Several of his [Jennison's] band of jayhawkers made their appear- 
ance in ifl^e vicinity of Kansas City, early in last June, and were ob- 
served skulking about the pickets of the United States troops, then tem- 
porarily stationed there, under the command of Captain (now Major) 
Prince. This discreet officer, justly suspecting the purpose of their 



mission to be none other than pillage, peremptorilj ordered them be- 
yond the limits of our State." 

The facts are these : The Governor of Kansas ordered me to repair 
with my command to the city of Wyandotte. Captain Prince after- 
wards directed tne to proceed to Kansas City. I did so in person, 
and "while there acted under his orders. I was not ordered out of Mis- 
souri by him. Nor did I leave that State until commanded to do so 
by the Governor of Kansas. 

The second charge made by Mr. Bingham reads as follows : 

"Athough reluctantly compelled to heed this mandate, [viz: Capt. 
Prince's order, as Mr. Bingham falsely charges,] at the time, they held 
themselves in readiness to renew their visit, as soon as a favorable op- 
portunity should be presented, and after the withdrawal of the troops 
under Major Prince, they again entered Missouri. They were led, on 
this occasion, by their chief, Jennison, in person, and, unfortunately for 
the honor of our arms, were associated with Major Van Horn and Col. 
Weir, in their expedition against a formidable rebel force, assembled 
at Harrisonville, in Cass county. Colonel Weir, by virtue of his rank, 
was in command of the Union forces, and should be chiefly held respon- 
sible for the unbridled license which was given to the rapacity of these 
irregular and lawless attaches of his command." 

Very true: I did return to Missouri, but it was under these circum- 
stances : 

Col. Nugent, of Missouri, commanding a regiment of Home Guards, 
sent a special messenger to me for help. He had been defeated by the 
rebels. Besides, Major Van Horn, also of the Missouri Home Guards, 
while attempting to re-inforce him, was met by the enemy, in over- 
whelming force, and routed, losing his entire train, all his ammunition, 
and driven into Kansas. I met him and Col. Nugent at the head of 
Wea creek, Miami county, without food, or any means of attacking 
or repelling the foe. 

A council of war was held. I was invited in, though at that time 
holding no office tinder the Oovernment of the United States. 

It was ascertained that at Morristown, Cass county, Mo., eight miles 
from the head of Wea creek, the rebels were encamped, and had a 
large supply of ammunition and provisions. The decision of the 
council was, that I should take what available force we had and attempt 
the capture of the foe and his supplies. 



This council was held at night. The following morning I marched " 
for Morristown. The enemy knew of my approach. When nearing 
the town, I found him drawn up in line of battle, and far .stronger than, 
we were. We had no alternative. We must have provisions and 
powder, and therefore the men were eager for fight. I threw out fifty 
picked men, as skirmishers, on my right, while I attacked the rebels 
on the left. This was about 10 a m. The fight had been carried on 
near an hour, when I ordered a charge with our whole force. The 
enemy retreated in confusion. I captured five wagons loaded with 
flour, two with bacoA, fourteen kegs of powder, &c. 

This property I turned over to the officers of the Government, and 
thus were the Home Guards of Missouri, imder Col. Nugent and Major 
Van Horn, relieved, and the Union men of that part of the State of 
Missouri, protected from rebel outrages. 

The night which followed this battle at Morristown, another council 
of war was held, and it was determined to attack the rebel forces at 
Harrisonville, Cass county. Mo., some eighteen miles from the head 
of Wea creek. 

Cols. Wier and Nugent and Major Van Horn desired me, again, to 
assume command and conduct the attack. 

I ordered our forces — seven hundred and fifty strong — to be ready 
to move at sunrise on the following morning. 

We reached Harrisonville on the second day thereafter, near 2 p. m. 
When within two miles of that place, we met about five hundred rebels, 
drawn up in line of battle. As we approached, they fell back. As I 
came upon the city, I moved a portion of our troops over the prairie 
and secretly despatched the rest through the tiniber, with orders to, 
assail the enemy in his rear. A surprise was the result, and he fled in 
utter confusion, leaving everything behind, and this, too, without our 
losing a man. 

Thus, a second time, I contributed somewhat to aid the Home Guards 
of Missouri and to protect the true Union men of that part of the State 
of Missouri. 

The third charge Mr. Bingham makes against me is this :" 



"As such a pretext [ viz: entering Missouri without cause] was no 
longer wanting, he soon came, pompously marching his forces in ex- 
tended files through the streets of Kansas City." 

At this time. I was an officer of the United States Governmem. I 
had raised a regiment of hardy and heroic men, and was under the 
command of Captain Prince, of Fort Leavenworth. I was ordered by 
him to Kansas City, Missouri, to protect Union men and disperse 
the rebels. I obeyed the order. More than that, I met Hays and his 
band, capturing from him forty government wagons, a large quan- 
tity of salt, medicinal stores, &c., and four hundred head of cattle, all 
destined for General Price, and drove the rebel robber and his follow- 
ers from that part of Missouri. All the property thus captured I 
turned over to the government of&cials at Fort Leavenworth and re- 
ceived the hearty thanks of Major General Hunter, who was at this 
time in command of the Kansas Department, for my success. 

Let me state here, once for all, that I never entered the State of Mis- 
souri with an armed force, except by order of the regular officials of 
the United States Government, and then only for the purpose of up- 
holding loyal citizens and defeating rebels. Let me state another 
fact : that when I was ordered by Major General Hunter to repair to 
Fort Leavenworth, that place being threatened then by the enemy, 
Kansas City and Independence sent pressing messages to him, backed 
by the strongest petitions on the part of the people of these cities, 
urging him to let me remain in command in that section of Missouri. 
I think I may now dismiss all and every charge of interfering improp- 
erly, either with the people or with the afliiirs of that State, as ut- 
terly false. 

' Mr. Bingham makes against me wholesale charges, involving guilt 
of the deepest dye. 

Invading "the s'auctity of private dwellings; robberies which inau- 
gurated that infernal system of predatory waiiare ; murders ; tyrannical 
abuse of authority ; stealing watches and jewelry ; dry goods, groceries, 
and drugs ; mules, horses, and wagons, of farmers; burning houses," 
&c., &C. 

These charges are lalsc 



First. All property taken by me or my command, in Missouri, was 
taken from rebels, and turned over to the government officials, whose 
receipts therefor are now in the liauds of the Quartermaster of my 
regiment. 

Second. I abused no man in Missouri, whether Union or rebel. 

What Mr. Bingham states as to the teamsters and the three " respect- ' 
able" citizens of Kansas city, is true. I did order them to haul hay 
and wood. I made them work, and saw that their work was well 
done. But who were they ? Rebels ! Men who had helped to erect a 
secession pole at Kansas City, and to rob the United States Arsenal at 
Liberty, Mo. Union men are forced to work, when serving their 
country ; are rebels better than they, when fighting against that 
country ? 

Third. The heroic men whom I command, with myself, are charged 
with being cut-throats and marauders, and instances are given by Mr. 
Bingham to sustain these charges. 

My special order, No. 37, published in Missouri and throughout the 
West, proclaimed my position. That order declared that every soldier 
of my command, who should enter any house, either of friend or foe, 
and take therefrom any property, without orders, should be tried, and, 
if found guilty, shot. One instance, and only one, of the violation of 
that order occurred. The soldier, who was guilty, belonged to Com- 
pany "C." Upon complaint being madt?, he was arrested, tried, found 
guilty, and shot. 

But why dwell further on these charges of Mr. Bingham ? They 
are wildly made, and, as I have said, falsely put. One fact, with all 
who know me, will be conclusive on this point. He charges me with 
cowardice ! I have never claimed to be a brave man. I have never 
set myself up for a hero ; all I have ever done has been to defend the 
rights and principles of my country, and in doing this I have met dan- 
ger in every form, and never shrunk from responsibility under any 
circumstances. 

It seems to me that another fact, and a very simple one, should close. 



conclusively, this whole matter. All these charges, so rudely and vin- 
dictively made by Mr. Bingham, were put in form before Major Gen- 
eral Hunter. My accuser stood in his presence to urge them. He 
brought whatever proof he could bring, direct or indirect, to sustain 
them. But AFTER Major General Hunter had heard Mr. Bingham, 
• AFTER he had examined, in detail, the testimony which he had offered, 
without calling upon me for explanation or reply, he dismissed these 
charges. 

Nor is this all. He appointed me Acting Brigadier General, assign- 
ing me a command of over three thousand men, and placing me in one 
of the most responsible positions on the borders of Kansas and Mis- 
souri, in that very portion of Missouri where all these cnorraities are said 
to have been committed by vie. Nor did Major General Hunter stop here. 
Without a word from me, witliout my knowing, even, what he intended 
or wished, he wrote to the President of the United States, urging him 
strongly to appoint me one of the Brigadier Generals of Kansas Vol- 
unteers. 

I could multiply proof without end on this subject. I will only add 
one class of testimony and that pro-slavery in part, and wholly Mis- 
sourian in character. I refer to the following leading and loyal citi- 
zens, well known throughout Missouri, as to my conduct while in that 
State : 

Major R. L. Van Horn, commanding post at Kansas City, Missouri. 

Dr. Thorne, Surgeon of Post at Kansas City. 

Messrs. Carney & Co., Merchants, Kansas City. 

Judge Bonton, Kansas City. 

Hon. C. Hopkins, 

C. S. Case, Quartermaster of Post. 

Capt. Van Dorn, Kansas City. 

Milton McGee, " 

"William Miles, Marshal of Independence. 

Hon. J. B. Perry, Independence. 

Capt. Oliver, | 

Lieut. Doyle, > of the Missouri 7th. 

Capt. Howard, ) 

Colonel Nugent, "| 

Lieut. Col. Mawhiney, I 

Major Dean, V all of the Missouri Home Guards, 



Captain Stewart, 
Captain Simpson, J 



V 



Judge Wells, U. S. District Judge. 

Judge Grover, of Criminal Court, St. Louis. 

Dr. Stark, of St. Louis. 

Dr. Hilguartner, St. Louis. 

McGill & Fishback, Editors Missouri Democrat, St. Louis. 

A word, and I close. 1 have done my duty. Before God and my 
country, I fearlessly assert that. But I am willing to forget myself, if * 
thereby I could advance the interests and uphold the character of the 
resolute and intelligent men who have stood by me in this fearful con- 
flict, now desolating the land. They have been true. They have fought 
for Kansas, for Missouri, for the Union. They have fought amid peril 
and privation, often bare-footed and without proper clothing, for 
a longtime, without tents and without pay, for our common liberties, 
and he is no patriot who brands them as robbers and marauders. 

C. E. JENNISON. 

Washingtok, D. C, May 16, 1862. 



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